[fse-esf] Short report from EPA

[Prokes M.]

Dear Doug,

coming out from a misunderstanding you shoot your objections in a wrong 
directions, thus creating artificial problems.
I made the proposal to "green" the ESF (approved for several times since 
2003 already) despite myself, I am an old Eastern European.
I can say I know real reasons why there are less and less people from 
Central and Eastern Europe coming. It is not the way of travel - 
Russians traveled to the last ESF in Athens by chartered buses (3 days 
long one way) and this is the cheapest way, not individual flights.
The misunderstanding you are coming from is that the restrictions for 
the travelcost reimbursement should apply only for journeys shorter than 
1000 km so it has nothing to do with people from the south and east of 
Europe as you write. I suggested similar economical incentives for the 
registration fees (reduction for those who would use terrestrial 
travel).  It should motivate people from Scandinavia and countries like 
Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, etc. You probably know that the most 
"killing" for the ozone layer and the most contributing to the global 
warming are flights under 800 km.
And to your last objection: I would be absolutely happy to see people 
with disabilities at the ESF and I am sure that the organizing committe 
would grant them full reimbursement (+ for their assistant) if they ask. 
What concerns us old participants (looking around at the EPAs) is the 
need to attract younger people - we old guys from the East are used to 
travel by overnight buses bringing food with us and sleeping on a gym 
floor if we want to change the world...  :-P

Greetings from Prague,
                              Mirek Prokes

Doug Holton napsal(a):
> I find that I am working on 1 and 2 December. Unfortunately theatre 
> workers are less able to take time off than others. I need to make 
> these brief points as soon as I can to enable people to consider them.
> I would like to emphasise the need for cultural/artistic contributions.
> Migration and asylum rights are crucial and I hope that someone will 
> take an initiative here.
> The attendance of migrants and people from marginalised groups will be 
> discouraged if the recommendation of the Environmental group is 
> accepted. Refusing to give solidarity money to people who travel by 
> plane will make it so much more expensive and arduous for people from 
> the south and east of Europe to attend. For many people especially 
> older comrades and those with disabilities as well as children it will 
> be one problem too many. The better off delegates can travel how they 
> like but the poorer have constraints put upon them by the rest of us. 
> Surely we should be encouraging people (everyone) to travel in the 
> most appropriate ways but not forcing poor people to travel for three 
> days or stay away.
> solidarity
> Best wishes
> Doug Holton
>
>
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